Rock of Ages…

This blog has NOTHING to do with Def Leppard and the only reason why I picked the title was beacause a. I am listening to that song and b. because this blog actually does include references to age oddly enough…

My idols growing up were soccer players. My current idols are still soccer players but things have changed.

I remember when I was a kid I wanted to grow up and be like Ruud Gullit, not only because I thought his hair was cool but cuz he was an incredible player, one of the best ever. Later on I adopted other idols such as Dennis Bergkamp, Thierry Henry, Robert Pires, Alessandro Del Piero, Andrea Pirlo, Zidane and of course O Fenómeno, the REAL Ronaldo. These men seemed so old and adult, like gods when you are a kid.

Those players only get older and so do we, the fans that idolize them but of course that isn’t the nature of the game… the sport gets younger, faster, smarter and younger again. I first got a glimpse of this during the 2004 season when Arsenal started playing 17 year old Cesc Fabregas… wow, i was blown away by a kid who couldn’t even legally drive and much less drink in the United States due to his age.

Today my favorite players, people responsible in large parts of my mood for the rest of the week post games, are younger than me, a lot… and it find it extremely interesting and borderline pathetic that what used to be men you looked up to are now kids you look up too. Don’t get me wrong, some of the most important people in my life are my students and they are a huge inspiration but I know them and work with them all the time, its different.